The motion to the AGM calls on:

Transport for London to fulfill the demands set out in the cross-organisational Petition for Safer Roads at the Elephant and Castle;

the Mayor of London to fulfill both the letter and spirit of his Love London, Go Dutch election promises and actively intervene to ensure redevelopment of the Elephant and Castle incorporates a flagship walking and cycling scheme

urges everyone here at the AGM to sign a copy of petition at the front of the room

resolves to seek the active support and participation of LCC members members in the Day of Action.”

The petition reads:

We call on Transport for London to make the main roads in and around the Elephant & Castle safer and

introduce enforced 20mph speed limits on all of these roads,

improve cycle safety on the Northern Roundabout,

create more pedestrian crossings and

narrow carriageways on St George’s Road and Newington Causeway.

Replies

It is true that shooting the Elephant and Castle can be stressful for a cyclist, but no cyclist needs to do it. For more than twenty years there has been a cycle by-pass around the Elephant which is almost car free and entirely free of fast moving traffic. The bypass gives good access to all routes through the Elephant. In all the discussions about the dangers of the Elephant and Castle, why is the cycle by-pass never mentioned?

Whilst the above comment is useful regarding cycling routes, it misses the point of the abve discussion. Th Elephant and Castle is symbolic of the way that cyslists and cycling are treated. The AGM motion, the petition and the vigil are designed to improve all junctions, routes and roundabouts in London. Cyclists have a right to all roeads. Please support them.

Significantly there are at least 2 major demolition and construction projects scheduled for the area which will put a near continuous string of 32T tipper trucks onto the roads network here and strung out along the A2 or parallel routes to the dumping or reclamation sites downstream from London.

We are talking serious trucking here. I estimate that the Heygate Estate is likely to generate at leat 400,000 T from demnolition and site clearance - St Pancras (Francis Crick) moved around 300,000 T with around 150 truck trips per day for 2 months - solidly - with the 32T rigid as the most damaging truck on the road, along with the massive emissions footprint, and seriously raised risk to vulnerable road users right through The City and out to Pitsea. We have rail lines where trains could be loaded, and a river which can ship barges with up to 2000 T from as far upstream as Battersea.

The individual projects won't have the vision and long term thinking to use rail or river, and the news that the experience of London 2012 has prompted TfL to reconsider their closure of the freight unit, and again look at moving freight by rail and river, especially construction site traffic. Trial freight trains have run in to Euston at night and a container loading terminal does exist on Lower Thames Street filling 500T barges with 20 25T containers, but with potential to load even more.

With some tough talking many of the projects generating that traffic can remove a huge number of trucks from the streets of London. Call for a stratgey to manage down these dangerous, damaging and pollution enhancing bulk haulage operations.

David 45, Why isn't the Elephant cycle by-pass symbolic of the way cyclists are treated? It's crazy to ask for duplicated routes when so many strategic routes lack safe passage for cyclists. For example, the only direct route from Forest Hill to Clapham is along the South Circular which is a horror show for cyclists. Resources are not unlimited and focusing on the Elephant which already has safe and convenient cycle provision, makes no sense.

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